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I was very bummed out on the 3rd of July and really avoided commenting in the Shade. I’m a little more social today (Friday the 4th as I write this).
I’ve pulled up a lot of things that I haven’t seen anywhere else, but they aren’t regional. We’ll see how I do tomorrow when I get serious about writing this, but I may just pop in a bunch of national stuff as filler, to make this worthwhile.
I’m deeply saddened by the loss of life in the Texas flooding event. My heart goes out to all of the families. There’s a diary that gives more details.
As always, the real value in the Shade is in the comments. Thank you all!
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Not a regional article unless you want to call it Iowa. WineRev had this link in his Good and Goofy in this morning’s GNR.
(Mind-War substack — Jim Stewartson)
I Asked ChatGPT to Analyze a Trump Quote
It’s hard to synopsize, so I’ll just recommend that you just read it.
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A nice article from the Virginia Mercury. It’s not political, but as someone who enjoys the sciences, interesting.
Geologists uncover new evidence from ancient asteroid that hit the Chesapeake Bay
About 35 million years ago, Hampton Roads was underwater, with the coastline dozens of miles west toward Richmond.
Dinosaurs were long gone, but the ocean teemed with marine creatures such as ancient whales, sharks and sea stars.
That is until one unfortunate day, when life across what’s now southeastern Virginia was obliterated within seconds.
A bolide – an extraterrestrial object such as an asteroid or comet – hurtled out of space and landed in the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay.
“There was a kill zone that would have been several hundred miles out in every direction,” said Rich Whittecar, a geologist and emeritus professor at Old Dominion University.
The volcanic-like lateral blast from the impact ripped through faster than the speed of sound, with exponentially more explosive power than atomic bombs detonated by humans, Whittecar said.
Plants and animals would be “totally shredded” by all the material – and simultaneously incinerated by the intense heat.
“Not a good day,” Whittecar said. ✂️
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(Indiana Capital Dispatch)
Tiny Indiana district with online school worth millions ordered to close
✂️ Union attracted statewide and national notice when it partnered with K12 in 2017 to start the online school as a way to boost dwindling enrollment and avoid bankruptcy. Private companies can’t just open a school and take in tax dollars for students who attend. So they need either the state or a school district to approve them to operate, or a designated agency known as an authorizer if they want to operate a charter school.
Union’s arrangement allows Stride/K12 to run the for-profit digital school as part of the district. In return, it gives Union 5% of the virtual school’s revenue, a huge bonus for a tiny district, especially now that the online school has grown dramatically.
Union school board president Christina Ogden said a state senator told her INDLS must close because the state wants to create its own online school. She and Mast said Prescott also told them the district could avoid being closed if it gave up its money from the digital school.
“I think they had to take out the one (online school) that had the most students first, and then it’ll be easier to go ahead and go around and close all of the others,” Ogden said. “The state wants to control those funds.”
She said Prescott withdrew the offer as soon as he found support in the legislature to pass his amendment that will close Union schools. ✂️
I’m on the fence about this one. On the one hand, I’m not in favor of private schools receiving state money. It tends to be a way for private schools to suck up more gifted students, discriminate, cherry pick, take public money out of the public schools and then blame the public schools for having the remaining disadvantaged students (less well-heeled, special needs for example) for lower test scores, to continue the cycle.
OTOH, I can definitely see the possibility that Indiana just wants to eliminate the competition and funnel that money into the pockets of more well-connected people.
I guess my final answer is that public money shouldn’t be going to private schools. I have no children but have been subsidizing public schools my entire tax paying life. The whine that parents are paying for public schools that their children don’t go to carries no weight at all for me.
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(Source NM)
‘It’s not over’: New Mexico doctor discusses the lasting effects of COVID-19
One of the biggest misconceptions about COVID-19 is that the pandemic is over, said Dr. Michelle Harkins, a physician and clinical researcher at the University of New Mexico.
“Well, it’s not over,” Harkins told Source NM in an interview this week. “The pandemic is smoldering. There are still people that are getting sick. You can still get COVID. There’s still a significant burden of Long COVID that we’re going to have to address.”
The most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national early indicators, updated on July 30, show that 3% of tests for COVID are coming back positive, and 0.4% of patients in emergency rooms have the infection.
Harkins works as co-medical director of the Post-COVID Primary Care TeleECHO program, which is meant to help primary care providers recognize and diagnose Long COVID, a chronic condition defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an illness that follows a SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least three months. Long COVID includes a variety of symptoms, including respiratory, neurological and digestive ones. ✂️
Dr. Harkins seems like one incredible doctor!
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I’m not going to draw too much attention to this one (no quote) because it has the potential to draw a lot of FAFO comments, which I don’t really find helpful, even though I sometimes indulge myself in FAFO articles.
(Alabama Reflector)
Alabama schools to lose $68 million in federal grants under Trump freeze
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(South Carolina Daily Gazette)
SC military-connected arts group helps veterans handle trauma through storytelling
Since publishing its first volume more than a decade ago, Bullets and Bandaids has worked with more than 100 veterans, mostly from South Carolina, giving them a platform to share their experiences through written stories and art.
And in the last two years, the organization has reached some 60,000 people through traveling art shows and events around the state and country.
Now, the veteran-founded nonprofit is preparing to launch its fifth edition. Supporters gathered in Columbia ahead of the July Fourth holiday to celebrate and raise the funds to make it happen.
“The amount of healing that we have done is wild,” founder Robert LeHeup told the SC Daily Gazette.
LeHeup was among the first groups of United States Marines to push into Afghanistan following 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. His unit helped take control of the Kandahar airport in 2001 and then secured the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
LeHeup left the Marine Corps in 2004 as a sergeant, returning to South Carolina and enrolling at the University of South Carolina, where he earned a writing degree and began working with different media forms.
“I was dealing with the same issues as so many other veterans when they first get back, which is violence and anger without a place to put it — substance abuse, depression, suicidal ideation — and I hadn’t even really addressed it,” he said.
Then, about 13 years ago, LeHeup gave a talk in Columbia. He spoke about a snowy night on patrol during his final weeks in Kabul. His unit was on high alert after they were told there could be members of the Islamic militant group Al-Qaeda in a nearby home. What LeHeup heard drifting over the embassy walls instead was music from a man playing a homemade flute. He stood listening to the man’s song and icicles like wind chimes in the trees as snowflakes fell around him. ✂️
Another great story that I encourage you to dive into if you can.
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(Kansas Reflector)
Kansas law enforcement boasts lowest crime rate in more than 20 years
There are so many possible explanations: Changes in policing (e.g. a lessening of “the war on drugs”); Better economic conditions; I’ve even read that when later generations went from being raised around leaded gas to unleaded, it helped a bunch. I’ll still count this as good news.
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(Kentucky Lantern)
Democrat who says he stands for ‘underdogs’ will be one in quest to unseat Hal Rogers
Prestonsburg attorney Ned Pillersdorf is hoping to unseat longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers next year.
Pillersdorf was scheduled to formally announce his candidacy at the Rosenberg Square in the Floyd County seat Friday afternoon, but he spoke with the Kentucky Lantern earlier this week about his plans. Pillersdorf, a Democrat, said his decision to run stems mostly from Rogers’ support for the sweeping GOP megabill that includes cuts to social safety net programs on which many people in the district depend.
Rogers, of Somerset, has represented Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District for nearly 45 years. The region includes much of Appalachian Kentucky.
The congressional district is also one of the nation’s poorest and one of the most dependent on Medicaid. Almost half of the constituents in the district — 44% — rely on the state-federal program to pay for their health care and it has been critical to sustaining hospital services in Eastern Kentucky.
Pillersdorf — whose law office proclaims, “We represent underdogs” — is known as the attorney who stepped up to represent thousands of Eastern Kentuckians who lost disability benefits after being represented by disgraced attorney Eric Conn.
Conn was convicted of defrauding the Social Security Administration and sentenced to prison. Pillersdorf is featured prominently in the 2022 Apple TV+ documentary series, “The Big Conn,” which recaps the case and Conn’s capture after he fled to Honduras.
Pillersdorf also is no stranger to politics, as he helped run nonpartisan campaigns for his wife, former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Janet Stumbo. She became the first woman elected to the state’s high court in 1993. ✂️
Wouldn’t this be great?
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(Nebraska Examiner)
‘Little buddy’ Guatemalan restaurant manager released on bond after month in ICE custody
No quote, because this is getting long and it has a potential FAFO component.
I will say that a month in detention and a $2500 bond for a wrong turn by a person of color feels like it might — I don’t know — possibly — maybe — bear with me here — be a case of racial profiling?
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This is left for last because I wanted it to be closer to publishing time. As I said above, this is a tragedy, and my heart grieves for the victims and their families.
(Texas Tribune)
Hill Country flooding death toll rises to 32 as search continues for missing girls, other survivors
The official death toll from the catastrophic floods that hit the Texas Hill Country rose to 32 as of Saturday afternoon, officials announced during a news conference held with Gov. Greg Abbott and other local and federal officials.
Among the 32 dead were 18 adults and 14 children. Five of those adults and three of the children remain unidentified.
Twenty-seven girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian camp for young girls, were also still missing as friends and families posted desperate messages online seeking help locating them. Many more people could still be unaccounted for, officials warned.
“The unknown is how many people were here locally visiting, on vacation, doing other things in the community that we just do not have numbers (for),” Dalton Rice, Kerrville city manager, said during a news conference Saturday morning. ✂️
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The Jukebox is here. anotherdemocrat is your host, the theme is Liberals Are Patriotic.
Ghost is hosting What’s for Dinner tonight. This will post before I can drop in a URL for it, but the link here should get you to within easy striking distance of it. Skillet Chicken. It sounds good.
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Today is…
Pet Remembrance Day
Gracie
Belle
Pet Remembrance Day can stir up a mixture of emotions for those of who have loved – and those who have felt the loss – of a special pet. It’s a day filled with memories of the happiness and fun times our furry friends brought into our lives. We remember the special bond we shared.
For those reasons, it’s also natural to feel the pang of their absence. It’s natural to recall their gentle weight warming our feet on the chilliest of winter evenings. This day provides a space for us to reflect and to grieve.
July 5th is also the 18th anniversary of losing our dog Gracie. I’ll always regret not doing it before the 4th. She was so far gone and the fireworks didn’t really bother her at that point.
I’d written Gracie into the intro before I found out that today was also Pet Remembrance Day. It’s a weird coincidence. Belle looks a lot like Gracie did (white German Shepherd). When my ex saw a picture of Belle for the first time, she said “you’re not supposed to be trying to replace Gracie!” I wasn’t trying, I just stumbled on Belle via petfinder.com.
Don’t click through to petfinder unless you’re willing to adopt, because you will find an animal you can’t resist. Petfinder is an organization that lets rescue organizations post pet details (picture, description...) up for people to browse and hopefully, adopt. As far as I can figure out, the rescue organizations are almost all a network of fosters. It’s the most cost-effective model.
Look to the right and you’ll see what I mean about Gracie and Belle looking alike. There have been a lot of amazing critters that I’ve been happy to live with.
Please recall fond memories of your beloved animals and a brief description of them and how they enhanced your lives in the comments!
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NATIONAL HAWAII DAY | JULY 5
On July 5, National Hawaii Day recognizes the 50th state to be granted statehood in the United States. Unlike National Hawaii Day celebrated on June 24, this National Day actually celebrates the wonderful heritage, achievements, and beauty of the Hawaiian islands.
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This naturally goes with “National Hawaii Day”...
NATIONAL BIKINI DAY
Since July 5, 1946, women have been hitting the beaches and pool sides in bikinis. National Bikini Day marks the anniversary of the invention of the revealing two-piece bathing suit.
Obviously, more Youtube research is called for.
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Mechanical Pencil Day
While much of the world has moved towards digital format, mechanical pencils make writing and design easier than ever before.
Mechanical Pencil Day celebrates the history of these pencils and encourages people to celebrate mechanical pencils and their many uses in our daily lives.
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International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
International Cherry Pit Spitting Day is a fun, light-hearted event that captivates people worldwide. Participants compete to see who can spit cherry pits the farthest, turning a quirky skill into a fierce but friendly competition.
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International Day of Cooperatives
The International Day of Cooperatives is an annual celebration of the cooperative movement that takes place on the first Saturday of July since 1923. Since 1995, the United Nations and the International Cooperative Alliance have been setting the theme for the celebration of #CoopsDay through the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), a multi-stakeholder partnership of global public and private institutions that champions and supports people-centred and self-sustaining cooperative enterprises as leaders in sustainable development. The International Cooperative Alliance is a founding member.
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NATIONAL GRAHAM CRACKER DAY
July 5 recognizes 1/3rd of the s'more. It's National Graham Cracker Day! Hopefully, you saved a few crackers if you were busy making s'mores over the Independence Day holiday.
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NATIONAL APPLE TURNOVER DAY
Enjoy a sweet, individual pie on July 5 because that is precisely what National Apple Turnover Day is all about!
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1935 - President Roosevelt signs the National Labor Relations Act into law.
1937 - Hormel Foods Corporation introduces Spam.
Shamelessly stolen (with the good reverend’s blessing) from WineRev in this morning’s Good and Goofy in the GNR…
1937 Hormel, Minnesota The Hormel company of Hormel, Minnesota had been founded by a German named Hormel. They cut a lot of paychecks every week to the people of Hormel who worked at the Hormel meat-packing plant. This day the Hormel Meat Company introduced Spam, the luncheon meat in a can (key included.) (Precooked pork & ham, plus some potato starch, salt and a pinch of sugar and some sodium nitrate to keep the meat looking pink.) It had a LONG shelf life and at 10 cents a can, it was a big commercial hit. Before Pearl Harbor the Army made it part of WWII field rations. In the early 1990s the trademark was illegally acquired by the prince of Nigeria for several years on the Internet, but Hormel won it back and Spam is still on your grocery shelves and not just in your computer folders.
Hugh Anthony Cregg III (1950-Still Living) [birthday]- Musician also known as Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis and the News).
Bill Watterson (1958-Still Living) [birthday] - Creator of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes.
I’ve got the Calvin and Hobbes box set and I was so lucky to live through the golden age when Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side and Bloom County and Opus were all in active syndication. Happy birthday, Bill Watterson!
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(6:18. Long intro, music starts at ~2:14)
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The Shade is open folks! Critter memories in the comments, please.
